Sheet metal casket box



Ailg. 16, 1932. I g 55 1,871,453

SHEET METAL CASKET BOX Filed April 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 16, 1 932. R. COBB 1,871,453

SHEET METAL GASKET BOX Filed April 15, 1951 2 Sheets-sheaf 2 Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES sms PATENT orries no? L. corner eems-snow;

SHEET METAL CASKET 130x Application filed. April 13,

provide an improved sheet metal casket box which is capable'of being constructed without the use of complicated or expensive machinery or process.

Another and further object ofthe invention is to provide an improved sheet met'al casket box so arranged that the various parts of several boxes of diiie're'nt size may be readily nested for convenience and savingo'f space in transportation or storage, Still another object is to provide' an improved sheet meta1,casketboX which is simple and economical in construction and of relative'lylight weight as well as durable and pleasing in appearance. 1

5'95 l/Vith these and other ob;'ects in view my invention consists in thel'construction,ar rangement and combination of the various parts ofmy device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed outinmy claims, and illustrated in the vac'companying drawings, in which: a

Figure 1 is a perspective View of acajsket box embodying myfinvention,"the bodv of the box being lifted slightly relativeto the bottom. V

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse section of the assembled boX, a portion being broken away. Figure 3 is a detail longitud nal section through one end portion of the body of the box on the line 3-3 of F igu'r'e 1; .V v Figure & is a perspectiveview o'fone of the end members of the body prior to completion ofthe assembling process. v

Figure 5 is a detail transverse section of portion of the body and bottom of the box and illustrating 'a modified form of latching means;

Figure "6 is a-detail perspective wiew of at their; lower mar ins to form bottom bent over at right angles, after another mem- 1931. serial no. 529,557.

the same members as shown in Figure "5 showing the latch in released position.

Figure? is an end view partially in section, illustrating a number of the box bod: ies and bottoms in nested relation. y 55 The box according to my invention is made of two main separable parts, namely a bottom member A and a body member B;

The bottom member. A is substantially flat and plane, having no side walls. It prgterably is made of a single sheet ofmetal sh ped toform a bottom wall 10 with integral downwardly extending marginal flanges 12.

The marginal flanges l2 are turned outwai'dly at their lower margins and then re' bent to form peripheral horizontalflanges 14, whereby substantiallyL-shaped flanges are'formed; V The'body member B includes a pair of a spaced side walls 16 and afpair ofend Walls 70 18. Italso includes a :pair of outer top sections ZO and-a plurality ofintermediate top sections22. The outer top sections 20 pref erably are formed integrally on the upper margins of the side Walls 16, while the ,intermediate sections f 22 are separately formed and connected as hereinafter described;

The sidewalls 16 are turned outwardly fiangesEZl and the marginal material preferably is bent underneath and then upward ly along the inner .face of the wall lfi as indicated at% to form marginal portions of double "thickness. V i

Attheir ends the side walls 16 are formed with hatare known as hammer locks and to that end are ofisetinwardly onthe lines 28 andare then turned outwardly on .linesparallelwith their body portions and rebent .to form double thickness flanges -30 which are again turned outwardly in the form of hook flanges 32 whose marginal portions extend c materialy beyond the outer edges of the double flanges 30 and ai'eoap'able of being 5 ber has been assembledtherewith, to form locking fianges 34:. This same construction is'employedat the endsgof the top sectiOnsQO and-QQandthesame reference numerals are applied to the various parts. m0

The end walls 18 are formed at their bottoms with outturned bottom flanges 36 which are rebent inwardly and then upwardly along the inner faces of the walls as indicated at 38 whereby double thickness is provided at the bottom of each end wall and its outwardly extending flange.

At their side margins the end walls 18 are formed with flanges 40 which areturned inwardly at right angles thereto and are adapt relations to the margins of the end'walls to form interlocking engagement of the parts, these bent over portions being designated by the numeral 34.

Because of the offset construction of the walls at the points 28, a space is provided for the hammer lock flangeso that the outer surfaces of the side walls and top sections are in the same planes when the operation of as sembly is completed.

Each of the intermediate top sections 22 is formed at onemargin with an upwardly opening hook flange 44 and at its opposite margin with an inwardly turned flange 46 adapted to be received in the hook flange'of an adjacent section, after which the hook flanges are compressed to form tight joints. The free margins of the outer top sections 20 are also formed with the inturned' flanges 46 toengage with a hook flange 440i an adjacent intermediate section. The sections 22 are arranged at obtuse an gles to the sidewalls 16 and the intermediate sections 22 are arranged atobtuse angles to the sections 20 and'to each other, the top margins of the end walls 181 being similarly formed so that the'top of the box presents a polygonal arrangement made up, of a plurality of relatively narrow faces.

When the parts are constructed and assem- I bled as shown and described the body portion Bis capable of being superposed relative to the bottomportion A in such manner that the lower edges of the side walls 16 and end walls 18 closely embrace the vertical peripheral'flanges 12 of the bottom member, with the outwardly extending flanges 24 and 36 of the body member resting on the horizontal flanges 14 of the bottom.

At times it may be desirable to have means for latching the means A and B together and this is conveniently acomplished by providing latching means Icoacting between-the contacting horizontal flanges of these parts as shown in Figures 1, 2 and The latching means includes latch members 48 pivotedat I together.

and having at their free ends laterally extending lugs 52 adapted to pass through slotted openings 54 in the flanges 24 or 36 and through registering slotted openings 56 in the flange 14 of the bottom member.

In the form shown in Figures 5 and 6 the latching means includeslatch members 58 pivoted at 60 on the bottom sides of the horizontal flanges 14 of the bottom member. Each latch member is formed with a channel shaped portion 62 adapted to embrace the flangev 14 and a contacting flange such as 24 or 36 of the body member B for holding them The channel shaped portion 62 may be provided with an upwardly extending lip 64 for convenience in manipulating it to operative or inoperative position.

At "times it maybe desirable to provide additional supports for the bottom member A in the form of a pair of longitudinally extending sills 66 engaging the lower face of the bottom. wall 10. The sills 66 preferably are ofsomewhat greater vertical dimension than the vertical flanges 12, thereby raising the horizontal flanges 14 above the ground or other surface on which the box maybe placed. This arrangement is of importance particularlyv when the latch members are used inasmuch as the latch'members have portions which extend beneath the horizontal flanges 14. r

The walls of the body member B may be provided with loop handles 68 at suitable intervals." The handles and the latching means between the two members are especially desirable, in cases where the box is to be used for transportation or shipment of a body and they need not necessarily be used for ordinary cases of burial.

The construction of the'bottom members A and body members B is such as to facilitate the nesting of a number of these memcated particularly in Figure 7, thus makin for conservation'in space in; transportation or storage. It is obvious that the members A and B may also be formed with sloping sides and ends in order that boxes of the same size may be arranged in nested rela: tion. i'

The box constructed in accordance with my invention is relatively simple .and economical of construction and produces an article which is of relatively light weight, pleasing in appearance and strong and durable in use; I

Some changes may be made in the construction, arrangement and combination of the parts of my device Without departing. from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or usejof mechanical equivalents, which may be rea; so b y n l d W nt ir m r I claim as my invention 1. A sheet metal boxincluding a body member having side walls, end walls and a top, the top of said body member being formed of a pair of outer sections formed integrally on said side walls, together with one or more separately formed intermediate sections, each extending longitudinally the entire length of the top, said top sections having interlocking connections at their adjacent margins, and connections at their ends with the end walls and being supported solely by such connections.

2. In a sheet metal box, end walls, a pair of spaced side walls, each of said side walls being bent at an angle greater than an acute angle to form an integral outer top section,

and one or more separately formed intermediate top sections, extending the full length of the top and engaging the end walls, said top sections being formed at their side margins with interlocking flanges, and being supported solely by said interlocking flanges and their engagement with said end walls.

3. In a sheet metal box, a pair of end walls formed with inturned flanges on their side and top margins, side walls, and top wall secs tions, the side and top walls being formed at their ends with outwardly opening hook flanges within which the flanges of the end walls are received, the free edges of said hook flanges being extended materially beyond the edges of the coacting sides thereof and bent over at right angles against the outer faces of the end walls to confine the end walls therebetween.

Des Moines, Iowa April 4:, 1931.

ROY L. COBB. 

